Danmachi SI-The Silence's Heir

Part 18

Chapter 18

GODDESS HESTIA

"A Month!" she screamed as the Hestia familia gathered in its decrepit church with all its actual and prospective members.

Bell-kun's injuries had been rather severe, but thankfully, with the money they had at hand, a healing potion was easy to acquire, and now her precious white-haired child was in perfect physical health.

"Yes, a month. I had asked for half that, though that idiot doubled that in his arrogance," Inumaki-kun repeated and made her realize that she had not heard wrong.

Two weeks. That was the time had bought for Bell-kun to compete and face a Level 2 adventurer. At the same time, he had only been an adventurer for a little over a month.

"Are you mad?" she asked, for the grey-haired idiot had not only asked for such a short time, but he had bet his greatest possession on the duel, a possession that she knew meant a great deal to him.

Hestia was friends with Hepaesteus, and she knew of the sheer importance of the spear wielded by Inumaki-kun. Gae Bolg, the Heart Piercer, was, in Hepahesteus's own words, one of her greatest creations since descending down to Tenkai. The materials and cost of this were enough for her to name it priceless.

It had taken her friend, the Goddess of the Forge herself, over a year to forge the weapon.

"Why?" Bell-kun asked from the side, both surprised and taken aback by the actions of their familia captain. And the way his gaze shook and the way he sat there told of him being aware of just how absurd this whole thing was.

"There is no need for you to do this," the prum girl who had caused all this tore up from the door as tears gathered in her eyes.

"I will go back to the Soma familia. Please, take back that challenge.."

"Did you not want to be a hero?" suddenly Inumaki's voice rang out, as she saw him looking straight at Bell-kun who seemed taken aback by those words.

"Did you not wish to save that girl over there," he asked as he pointed towards the prum, his voice heated and strong.

"Did you not wish to become strong, to become strong enough that you would never ever need to be saved! That you would flourish in Orario and fulfill your grandfather's dreams!" he challenged as he walked up to him.

And the air in the room tensed as Inumaki kun crouched down and looked straight into Bell's eyes.

"Or was all that ramblings of a child!" he asked as Bell-kun's fists balled up as he replied through gritted teeth

"No! They were not," he answered, and so Inumaki-kun smirked as he stood up.

"Then why do you still sit here? Zanis Lustria is an average Level 2 ranker, a novice if considered in the grand scheme of things in Orario," he said as Bell-kun pushed himself up.

"I personally believe that if you put your heart and soul into it and give it your all, you shall be able to defeat the likes of him. For if you truly desire to be the hero you dream to be, this is but a small hurdle in your journey," he added, and she saw her little rabbit's eyes heat up at those words as he turned towards her.

"Know this, Bell-kun, in life, there are times when there is no trying. These are times when one must do something, and those times are the makings of a hero. This is that time for you," he added as Bell kun nodded and spoke to her.

"I am afraid I will be rather busy in the upcoming days, Goddess-sama. I apologize in advance for troubling you," he said in a shout as he turned towards Inumaki-kun and bowed his head.